After Defeat, Teachers Union Calls for Bossier Business Boycott

Coming on the heels of last weekend's landslide defeat at the polls, the Bossier Federation Chapter of Red River United Teachers Union is calling for a boycott of businesses who contributed financially to the campaign opposing the teachers' pay increase.

The Bossier Federation Chapter of the RRU calls for BBB -
Boycott Bossier Businesses - those businesses who paid to oppose the May 4th propositions for pay and technology while providing no solutions

Educators are walking out all over this country and the overriding reason they are walking out is the failure to adequately fund schools. Educators in Bossier did not think this was a consideration as it was felt, based on the May 4th propositions, the school board and administration supported the needs of the employees and the schools.

Educators were instead met with a mass orchestration by the business community to defeat these proposals just as they did the ones in 2012. Many in the business community voiced over and over a distorted calculation of the impact of the property tax. Teachers and school employees heard over and over that the business community supported teachers and school personnel but just not this way. For over a decade this has been the refrain. Quite clearly Bossier educators are not only disappointed, but they are dismayed by the failure of the community to address the continued slippage of salaries to the lowest in the region. While teacher and school employees remain underpaid, the business community continues to reap the benefits of the second fastest growing parish in the state of Louisiana due largely to the success of the Bossier Parish School System.

While many of these movements are organic, what is consistent is the refrain of teachers and staff saying, ‘ enough is enough.’ The Bossier Federation Chapter of the Red River United encourages employees to express appreciation to the BPSB and Bossier Administration for their steadfast support. In turn, they strongly encourage employees and their supporters to BBB - Boycott Bossier Businesses - those who took action against the proposals while never proposing any type of solution. We want to send a clear message that it is time for the business community to work with the school system, not against it. Now is the time.

This is how they spent their time and money- opposing employee pay raises and technology for students. Let's make sure we send the message that WE WILL CHOOSE where we spend our time and money, too.

On their social media page, Red River United listed the businesses targeted and how much each contributed to the opposition.